A warm love bytes welcome to author Michael Mandrake joining us today for the “On The Run” tour.
Welcome Michael 🙂
Why I Enjoy M/M Romance
Michael Mandrake
Greetings readers! Since I’ve been writing m/m the past five (plus) years, I wanted to restate the reasons why I started writing m/m romance.
In the beginning, it was all about the taboo, it made me hot, it broke the mold, but now it’s about my enjoyment for writing romance. With every story I write, I put a little bit of myself in every character, whether it’s my snarky side, my long winded, my love for the overdramatic. Notice I said, overdramatic, that doesn’t make me a drama queen!
*snicker*
I do love the tension but occasionally, I love a story without all the heartache.
Ever since I was a teenager, I loved reading stories about two people falling for one another. It started with Harlequins or my grandma’s Barbara Cortland novels. Then, I wanted to read steamer books from authors like Jackie Collins and later on erotica author Zane along with Anne Rice.
In many people’s eyes, those writers put together smut, but hey, it had a romantic element, or tried to.
*grins*
The bottom line is it opened the door for what we know now as erotic romance. In those stories there was something about two people connecting, finding a common ground, and maybe love somewhere along the way. Perhaps it wasn’t clearly stated, but reading between the lines, you saw something in those characters that made you enjoy that book.
And so, that spurred me into writing my own, but it wasn’t until I gained the confidence through encouragement from friends and the fanfic community did I get the courage to publish. It took me a while, but here I am. Now, just like the writers before me, I enjoy writing about two people connecting.
Most of the time, I just like them to be two men. Other than the genitalia, what’s the big difference? Men have feelings, desires; they have their ultimate partner just like women do. They have hang-ups, fears, some express their feelings openly, some do not.
Why should writing m/m be singled out?
Sure, a lot of men might fit what society calls a “real man,” but in my world, the characters may not always fit that mold. They’re unique, most of the time imperfect, not always what America considers as everyday males. They debunk stereotypes, cross over boundaries, they’re human to me and they connect. I love that the most and as much as I am a feminist, I love writing about the opposite sex.
So my ideas are better defined. Yeah it still makes me hot, I love the taboo, but most important, I just love writing romance and the fact that it’s between two men, shouldn’t be a big deal. It is after all about human interaction. I enjoy it, and God willing, I’ll continue to do to for years to come.
Blurb for On the Run:
Who would’ve thought that a British hitman would fall in lust at first sight with an American felon? It could become deadly for both.
Aiden Moriarty is a Florida ‘herbalist’ who works with a performance-enhancing drug used by many athletes. One of them is baseball star Ivan Salerno, who was caught using the drug and is now on the brink of getting suspended. Because of Ivan’s connections with a rogue mob boss, Aiden is taken into a witness-protection program, working along with baseball higher-ups until he testifies.
The mob boss, Augustine Ora, has hired former British military officer and his best hitman Devlin ‘Brit’ Crawford to do the job. Ora has instructed Devlin to go to Miami, kidnap Aiden and take him to the local airport to be transported to Havana, Cuba, to be executed by Ora’s top officers.
However, when Devlin receives the email, the pictures of the blue-eyed felon catch his eye and he is moved to go in a different direction. Instead of delivering Aiden to the airport, he has thoughts of taking him away and saving him from Ora’s wrath.
This move puts himself and Aiden, as well as his assistant, Miranda Ashley, in huge danger. Will Devlin keep Aiden safe despite the odds, or will he fail, causing Ora and his men to come after him?
Reader Advisory: This book contains the use of racial slurs.
General Release Date: 6th October 2015
Aiden and Brit connecting!
Aiden mused and sat up straight in the seat. “No, seriously, Brit. I’m looking forward to lying in the horizontal position with you, babe. I’ve looked forward to it for over a day now.”
Brit traced Aiden’s face with the tips of his thumb and forefinger. “Hmph, well, we have to be totally quiet and not get too frisky, friend. If you’re good, perhaps we can have a little fun once we get across then, hmm?”
Aiden cocked an eyebrow and winced at Brit’s touch. His pants, already tight around the crotch area, became even more confining with Brit’s show of affection. Aiden hated this cat and mouse game, but was willing to play, knowing the end result would be so much hotter. “Is that a promise? ’Cause I’ll make sure you stay true to your word, Brit.” Aiden moved so both of Brit’s fingers ended up on his lips. He took one into his mouth, lightly sucking and licking the tip. “Hmm, will you, Brit?”
“Ahem, um… Yes, uh…” Brit yanked his hand away quickly and turned around, looking frazzled. “You’re insatiable, Aiden. I swear it does me no good to play with you, does it?”
“Yeah, it does. Just know that I won’t take your teasing lightly. You and me like each other, a whole damn lot. And when we get into Canada, I promise you, the subtle touches, looks and heat between us will become something more.”
“I’m sure it will, and I’m looking forward to it.” Brit exhaled and glanced at his watch. “I’m thinking you’ll be making sure to take advantage of our little alone time together in back, right?”
“How did you know?” Aiden smirked and leaned in close to Brit’s ear. His persistence was finally working on Brit and tearing down those walls. He decided to turn it up another notch. “We’ll have fun, Brit. I promise you.” Aiden swiped his tongue over Brit’s earlobe and placed a gentle peck there.
Buy link for On the Run
About Michael Mandrake:
Michael Mandrake pens complex characters who are already comfortable in their sexuality. Thorough these characters, he builds worlds not centered on erotica but rather the mainstream plots we might encounter in everyday life through personal experiences or the media.
To find out more please visit Michael’s website. You can also check out Michael’s blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, Instagram,Tumblr and Ello.
Enter Pride Publishing’s October blog tour competition for the chance to win an eBook of your choice, not including boxsets or anthologies.
Thanks for hosting me